Google Launches Connected Apps Platform, Bridging Search and Gemini via MCP
Amid the buzz around Gemini 4 Carbon, Google quietly released a developer-facing preview of its Connected Apps Platform, letting third-party apps connect directly to Gemini and Google Search via MCP—after a single user-authorized link, actions can be executed directly inside Google products.
Confirmed
- The platform is in preview; developers build via a cloud MCP server or Android AppFunctions, submit through Google Connected Console, and once approved the app can serve both Google Search and Gemini
- Google introduced connected apps functionality earlier this year, allowing users to securely connect external apps and execute actions directly (e.g., connecting third-party services)
- Google says Search integration will be completed in the coming weeks; currently open only to US developers
- A batch of new Connected Apps also launched, with partners including Adobe; @emmanuelvivier says more than 50 apps are connected
- @daluoseo relayed a SaaS blogger's advice: package your core features as an MCP server and submit it to each platform
Why it matters
- This platform is seen as a release more likely to shape the developer ecosystem than Gemini 4 Carbon: it establishes MCP as the unified gateway for apps to reach Google Search and Gemini, and "write an MCP server and you're in Gemini" dramatically lowers the barrier for third-party services
- For SaaS vendors, joining Connected Apps means their product can appear right at Google's traffic entry points, potentially reshaping app distribution and customer acquisition; for users, it cuts the cost of switching between AI assistants and external services
2026-10-29 ~ 2026-10-30 · 6 related posts
Primary sources
- Google launches Connected Apps Platform: MCP apps inside Search and Gemini — VeryWellVersed · 2026-10-29
- [source] Google opens Connected Apps: ship an MCP server to get into Gemini and Search — daluoseo · 2026-10-29
- [source] Google launches Connected Apps Platform preview: build once with MCP, reach Gemini and Search — AiJohnAllen · 2026-10-29
- Google previews Connected Apps Platform: build once for both Search and the Gemini app — AiJohnAllen · 2026-10-29
- Google opens Gemini and Search to third-party apps with 50+ Connected Apps — emmanuelvivier · 2026-10-29
- Google opens Connected Apps Platform preview: build once with MCP, reach Search and Gemini — rmstein · 2026-10-30